Pentax K-3 II has a Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 143 native lenses available for this mount. Pentax K mount has backward compatibility for all the K mount lenses produced since 1975 so Pentax users has access to a large selection of manual era native lenses in addition to the modern AF lenses.

K-3 II also has a Sensor based Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on K-3 II. Pentax claims that the image stabilization of K-3 II is effective up to 4.5 stops. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC. There are also 22 lenses with weather sealing for K-3 II that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Pentax K-3 II Lenses on Camera Decision:

Pentax K-3 II has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime III processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 6016 x 4000 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. K-3 II has a native ISO range of 100 - 51200 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Pentax K-3 II has a special High Resolution mode where the camera takes multiple images of a scene while moving its sensor using the sensor shift image stabilization system and combine them automatically to create a much higher resolution image. This feature works best with static scenes and using a tripod is a must to minimize stitching artifacts.

Anti-Aliasing Filter

Another important feature about Pentax K-3 II's sensor is the lack of anti-alias (Low-pass) filter. Removing anti-aliasing filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but on the other side it also increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes. But wait! K-3 II takes care of this problem for you. It has a unique and adjustable Anti-Aliasing Filter Simulator mode which can create the effects of a Low Pass filter electronically when you want to avoid moire.

Let's look at how the size of the Pentax K-3 II's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Pentax K-3 II Physical Specs

Pentax K-3 II weighs 800 g (1.76 lb / 28.22 oz) and has external dimensions of 131 x 100 x 77 mm (5.16 x 3.94 x 3.03″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 775g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 77mm, it also has an average thickness.

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Thickness Comparison

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Here is the front and top view image of Pentax K-3 II with the dimensions:

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax K-3 II, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Pentax K-3 II with its main competitors:

Pentax K-3 II has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Pentax K-3 II will serve you well. If you attach one of these Pentax K-3 II weather Sealed lenses to K-3 II you will have a great all weather kit.

Pentax K-3 II Other Features

LCD and Viewfinder

Pentax K-3 II has a Fixed Type 3.2″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1,037k dots. The Pentax K-3 II's 3.2″ screen is larger than average and its resolution is up to the class standarts.

K-3 II has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 100% and a magnification ratio of 0.64x. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later.

Flash
Unfortunately K-3 II doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

FocusingPentax K-3 II features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 27 focus points and 25 of these sensors are of Cross-type. Cross-type sensors locks focus faster and more accurate compared to single type sensors.

Pentax K-3 II also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.
Astro Tracer

Pentax K-3 II has a creative Astro Tracer mode where the camera utilizes its GPS and sensor shift mechanism to track the motion of the stars and creates a long exposure image without visible star trails. This makes K-3 II one of the best equipped camera for Astrophotography.

Video Features
With Pentax K-3 II, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60i,50i,30p,25p,24p fps and save in MPEG-4 and H.264 formats. Full HD resolution of Pentax K-3 II will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.

K-3 II has a built-in Mono microphone and a Mono speaker. Pentax K-3 II also has a port for an external microphone and a headphone port for connecting external headphones which make Pentax K-3 II a very suitable camera high quality videography.

Battery Pentax K-3 II is powered by D-LI90 battery which provides a shooting life of 720 according to CIPA standards.
Considering that the average battery life of DSLR type cameras is 884 shots, Pentax K-3 II has a short battery life for its class so we strongly recommend K-3 II owners to buy some extra batteries.

In this section, we review and score Pentax K-3 II in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the K-3 II compares with the average DSLR camera.
Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

Pentax K-3 II for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-3 II has a score of 83 for Portrait Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Pentax K-3 II for Daily Photography

Pentax K-3 II has a score of 70 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Pentax K-3 II for Landscape Photography

Pentax K-3 II has a score of 64 for Landscape Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Landscape Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

In this section, we analyse how Pentax K-3 II compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of K-3 II and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.